Woman charged in sick murder, sexual assault of senior citizen

A Middlesex County woman has been charged in the heinous killing and sexual assault of a 70-year-old woman found dead in an apartment on Wednesday.

Caroline Beckert, 40, of Old Bridge, faces charges of murder, aggravated sexual assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement Thursday.

Jo Ann Cullinan, of Old Bridge, was found dead in a residence in Glenwood Apartments, after police received a call from Beckert saying she had killed someone, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

The affidavit alleges that Beckert and Cullinan were “acquaintances” and that the woman used a knife and a hard object, a drawer, to kill the woman. It also alleges Beckert sexually assaulted Cullinan with an umbrella. She also stole $15, according to the affidavit from county Detective Erik Larsen.

Police recovered the knife, as well as a bloody umbrella and clothing, according to the affidavit.

Investigators swarmed the apartment complex around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday though it’s not clear when Cullinan was killed.

The Glenwood Apartments are located just off Route 516, one of the town’s main thoroughfares.

Beckert, who is being held in the Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick, is scheduled to make her first appearance in Superior Court in New Brunswick on Friday.

Anyone with information was asked to call Det. Michael Cronin of the Old Bridge police at 732- 721-5600, or Detective Erik Larsen of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3263.